Wednesday 3 September 2014

New Dictionary Words for 2014

Hi everyone!

This is the article with the list of new words added to the dictionary which we discussed in class.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28783088

Have a read through the article, and think about how you feel about these words being added to the dictionary. You may want to consider the following:

Do you think that it is necessary for these words to be added, and that it is a reflection of our ever changing society?

Or do you think this is all a little bit ridiculous?

We had a good discussion in class, so I'd like you to post some of your opinions below please!

Claudia

40 comments:

  1. The new words are mostly slang. Some look okay as if they are meant to be in the dictionary however words like 'adorbs' and 'side-boob' are not needed in the dictionary. I have never heard of 'side-boob'. It does sound ridiculous and is just simply two words put together. Although words like 'Yolo' can be put in the dictionary because it is an acronym made from the words 'you only live once'.

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  2. I have mixed opinions on whether these words should be added to the dictionary or not. Unlike Gemma, I feel that it's ridiculous adding "yolo" to it as it's not a proper word- it's just an acronym. Most of these new words that have been added such as "hench" and "selfie" can be classified as slang and therefore shouldn't be allowed to be added to the dictionary. On the other hand you could argue that it's not slang at all and it's important to add new words as our language is evolving over time.

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  4. I think that "binge-watch" is okay to be added to the dictionary because binge means a period of excessive indulgence in activity so it can mean watching something excessively within a short period of time. But I agree with Melanie in that "selfie" and "yolo" are slang and that they shouldn't be added. I use the word "selfie" but I don't think it should be put in the dictionary because it's unprofessional and I would never use it in a professional environment.

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  6. Having these slang words added to the dictionary may encourage people, and more importantly, generations to come, that these are proper words that can be used at all times when actually they need to be avoided in formal situations. I would agree that “binge-watching” is an acceptable phrase to use because it’s just taking two words and putting them together and wouldn’t really be classed as slang. Despite Katherine Connor Martin (Oxford Dictionaries editor)’s strong point about using the dictionary to explore how language is changing, this can actually be explored by other methods other than observing the dictionary. I don’t have an entirely strong opinion on this topic but I think despite the more laid-back approach to language nowadays, the dictionary should be kept professional.

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  7. Personally I think a word such as "binge-watch" is ok be added to the dictionary, as it has a good definition that many people could refer too, unlike "YOLO" which is an acronym.Although saying that the article states, that so far these words have been added only to the online version of the dictionary,so this suggests that they don't intend for you to use them in exams or at time when you are using a paper dictionary.So you could kind of say it's a little acceptable to use them online.To conclude, I feel that some words such as "binge-watch" are ok to be added to the dictionary to a certain extent, but not acronyms like "YOLO"

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  9. I'm not sure i'm entirely comfortable with 'YOLO' actually being added to the english dictionary... it just seems wrong. I think slag words being added into the dictionary makes room for the intergration of these words to be used more frequently in peoples everyday language and writing. I'm not looking to have kids anytime soon but if my child came home from school in x amount of years with an essay consisting of 'Hamlet and YOLO' i'm not sure i'd be very happy.

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  10. I'm rather pleased that these words have only been put online and not physically on paper. To be completely honest, even to have these slang words in the dictionary makes me question where the English language is going. In my opinion, this will be a temporary phase, as I can't really see us still using words such as 'YOLO' in 20 years time, ''Oh, yeah I rode my hoverbike with no hands, YOLO!!''. I'm certain by that time there would have been many 'phases' of the English language that would have come and gone. Overall, I think its a poor decision to put these words in the dictionary, obviously I understand these are words that are being used more and more today, but I don't think this will last. By next year there's bound to be another collection of pathetic and silly words that will be entered into the dictionary!!

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  11. Personally, I cannot see a problem with these words being added to the dictionary. The english language is something that is constantly flowing and changing, and the dictionary is not only here to provide us with word definitions but also record these changes. I believe it is important to keep an accurate account of the way people talk and we shouldn't try to shut out new words and phrases, even if we choose not to use them ourselves. New language is not something to be ashamed of; it should intrigue us and be something that's exciting to explore. I would much rather it continued to move forward then never change at all!

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  12. I believe that it is important that we keep updated on words used in this generation for the sake that words are frequently changing and being updated. However, the meanings of the majority of these words allow our generation to come across as "stupid" due to the slang added. The words added would be seen as more acceptable if they were not classed as slang words. But the fact that such words as YOLO have been added makes me feel embarrassed to be part of this generation who use this idiotic words.

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  13. I think that putting words in the dictionary like 'YOLO' is ridiculous. I know it's an acronym, but it's still a slang word. I think that it isn't a proper example of English. Leading on to people learning and using the English language incorrectly. In fifty years to come, they'll be looking back on what we left to future generations thinking we're insane. Most of our words were made up by Shakespeare, so in comparison, it's embarrassing. No one will even say these words in five years. That's why I think it's a more sensible idea to publish these words in the online dictionary instead of the printed versions. It's more important to put new words in the dictionary that everyone will use, not just a certain amount of people!

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  14. I think that putting words like 'YOLO' into the dictionary is absolutely appalling. The word 'YOLO' especially, because it isn't even a word it's an acronym and also it is slang. I just don't understand how far we have come in the English language and how much it has developed into a wonderful language to learn, that we have agreed that words like 'YOLO', bromance, and binge-watch are acceptable in today's language. I feel embarrassed by this whole situation because it doesn't represent how most of the population speak, and in terms of my own personal future I'd rather not want my children knowing that these were actually considered as typical words of the English language when they are growing up.

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  16. The entry of these words into the dictionary is being given unneeded attention. First of all, most of these words are limited to internet use (which ironically makes up a lot of some people's conversation space) and are barely used in real life situations. Many people outside our generation's age boundaries won't have heard or even bothered paying attention to these words. But since the before written applies in principal to a large number of words already in the dictionary, one shouldn't hassle over Oxford wanting to expand the country's vocabulary. However, going back to what Georgia Cannon said, these words are just fads that will probably die out by the end of next year. At least they can be easily removed form the online dictionary.

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  17. As technology advances and society changes, so does our language. It is only natural that new words will surface to express ideas and concepts that previously didn't exist or weren't prevalent, for example the usage of 'binge-watch' increasing as high-speed broadband which allows access to streaming services becomes more widely used. These changes in language directly reflect our changing culture and thus I believe that this should be documented in dictionaries. However, personally, I think that 'yolo' should not be added to the dictionary because it is in fact an acronym and is just a fad of yesteryear and is not really used any more. However, words like 'selfie' and 'neckbeard' should be added to the dictionary because they have viable meanings and aren't just slurs or excessively informal slang.

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  18. I think that putting words such as 'yolo' and 'twerk' into a book of such history is offensive to the English language. For a start, with 'yolo' being an acronym there is really no need for it to be in the dictionary and also, surely putting stupid words that are mainly used only by our generation into the dictionary will give future generations a bad view of what we are like and what we could give to history. These words will die out soon enough and having them in the dictionary will leave us embarrassed by what our contributions to the English language were. I think these words should be limited to the online urban dictionary with all the other slang.

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  20. I think that words such as 'yolo' and 'adorbs' shouldn't be added to the dictionary as they are abbrieviations rather than actual words and I think that they will slowly be used less as they are already used jokingly or sarcastically rather than as serious words so I think that these words should either just continue on social media without any documenting or placed in a different word bank like the urban dictionary instead of the oxford dictionary however I think that 'binge-watching' is more acceptable to be added to the dictionary as with technology advancing I reckon this word will be used more and more often.

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  21. I think it is important to keep up to date with how the English language is evolving. However, I believe adding words such as "yolo" or "selfie" to our online oxford dictionary is unacceptable. My concern is that our generation is constantly surrounded by these acronyms. Adding those words to our English dictionary makes them more recognised and gives them a sense of importance, when instead they should only be used in informal situations. The line between formal and informal speaking/writing is becoming less and less apparent as these abbreviations are becoming more and more accepted in our society

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  22. I think that a few of the words could be added to the dictionary, however, other words such as 'yolo' should not be as it's a phrase/quote as an acronym and therefore it's not actually a new word. Furthermore, I disapprove of 'adorbs' being added to the dictionary as it's a shortened word - not a new one. Also, both of these words are nearly always used in a sarcastic or slang way and will probably not be said for much longer. On the other hand I believe 'binge-watch' and 'selfie' are not as bad and could be added to the dictionary purely because both 'binge-watch' and 'selfie' are fast becoming well known words, used by a variety of people. I think it's okay to add some words to the dictionary and we should often keep it updated (when necessary).

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  23. I think that it is important to accept that our language and the way we speak is changing all the time wether any of us like it or not despite how 'silly' some of the new words sound. I have mixed feelings about some of the words being added to the dictionary. For example "YOLO" is an acronym and I believe that this should not be added to the dictionary as it is not a proper word. Also in my opinion about adding "YOLO" to the dictionary it doesn't give a positive perception on how english language is changing; if these 'words' are being added to the dictionary now who knows what will be next? Whereas the other new words such as "Selfie", "Binge-watching" and "Bromance" are more acceptable than the acronym as millions of people are using these terms throughout the day wether they're saying it as a joke or not. They show how technology has also influenced language as "Binge-watching" is from watching a series for an extensive amount of time on video sites as well as "Selfie" where people will take a photo of themselves on their smart phone. I read on a previous comment that "YOLO" could be just a phase and they won't be saying it 20+ years down the line and I agree with that completely. Personally, none of my friends have ever said the term "YOLO" seriously, there will be new acronyms in the future and that is why I disagree on this word going into the dictionary.

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  24. I believe that a few of the words could be added to dictionary as I think it is important to keep up with the way in which the English language is changing. However I think things like 'yolo' shouldn't be added as it isn't actually a word and it is just an acronym. Although as technology and society changes, so does the language. These changes in language reflect the changing culture and this is why I believe adding words to the dictionary such as 'bromance' and 'sideboob' would be acceptable due to them actually having visual meanings.

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  25. I believe that adding words to the dictionary such as 'YOLO' or 'selfie' is important to the development and understanding of society. They give recognition to how the world is exploring new language development and also how our (ever so) vast language is expanding with this development. As mentioned previously by Shannon, it shows how language reflects on our changing culture so words like this are important in the digital age, to be typed online as slang or to be spoken in jest.
    I do, however, wonder how such illiteracy has become so popular among the older generation, as more often than not they will use this language seriously, whereas us younger generation know when to use it in jest and use it to our knowledge with sarcasm.

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  27. Personally I believe that allowing words such as 'yolo', 'twerk' and 'selfie' into the dictionary is simply an offense to the English language. Although these words are used frequently by this generation, it should never be acceptable to include slang words into the English language.
    However, I do understand that the English language is evolving and it could be argued that if these words are being used on an often basis, they should be added to the dictionary. Although this is the case, adding these terms to the dictionary could be viewed by others that the use of these slang words are acceptable in everyday, possibly formal, conversations. In my opinion, words such as 'dench' and 'adorbs' should only be used in informal situations (with friends or family) or the internet, and not in the English dictionary where only genuine English words should be.

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  28. In my personal opinion i do not see any reason why these words shouldn't be added to the dictionary. Our society is rapidly evolving and the words we use are changing every day. As the article says '' The words will not, for now, appear in the paper-version of the Oxford English Dictionary '' meaning that these words can only be searched for online. Stereotypically, it is teenagers and young adults who use the internet therefore the older generation who do not use the slag added to the dicitionary do not have to search nor come into contact with the new words being introduced.
    I understand how some people disagree and think that they shouldn't be added as they are informal but i think by the words simply being added to the dictionary will not change the way we act. If this article wasn't brought to my attention, i would never of been aware of the words being added therfore with wouldnt of affected the way i am in any situation.

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  29. In my opinion, I believe that adding these new words into the dictionary makes our generation seem lazy and slightly unintelligent. The fact that 'YOLO' has been added to the dictionary surprises me greatly as many people, including myself, mock and laugh at the use of 'YOLO'. Also, 'YOLO' is an acronym which will show future generations that we used slang to talk to each other. I agree with the fact that technology is changing and therefore so is our language, but would you class 'side-boob' or 'bromance' acceptable to include in a formal piece of writing?

    I think that it is a shame that these new words are in the dictionary as it makes the dictionary seen unprofessional and quite embarrassing. However, the benefit of having these words in the dictionary educate people who do not know the meaning of these words and they are stated as 'informal'.

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  30. In my opinion I believe that adding some of these words to the dictionary is a good thing as it is showing how our society is changing. In the ways how we speak and which words we used to put our point across. Words such as selfie and bindge-watch. I believe are acceptable to be added to the dictionary. However words like YOLO should not be added. Firstly, it is a acronym which is words that have been shortened down into just the one word also I believe that it makes our language sound lazy as we don't wish to say the whole saying.

    I do believe that some of these words should be added but some however should not.

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  31. As our society and culture changes so does the language we use. The English dictionary is constantly being updated with all kinds of weird and wonderful words such as binge-watch, YOLO, selfie and adorbs. Personally I have mixed opinions on these words being added to the dictionary, the existence of words such as YOLO I think are unacceptable and pointless. It is an acronym that persuades the younger population to use slang words in everyday life, possibly resulting in students using this kind of language in school life and exams. On the other hand it is important to welcome new words into the English language as this reflects the change in culture and our generation. For example the word binge-watch has a true meaning and demonstrates how our language has changed over a period of time.

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  32. I think that it is perfectly acceptable to include words such as YOLO in todays modern dictionary. Why? Because it shows a development of language, and will allow future generations to study our use of language today. If words hadn't been added to the dictionary, we would be still speaking in Old English. Also I think it's important to remember that slang has always been a part of spoken language, and indeed it exists in every language. For our generation to develop its own variation of the English language... is something that should be acknowledged. Even if it is just an entry of the word "twerk" in the dictionary; at least it shows the older generation that we are just as competent in the use of language.

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  33. In my opinion the new words that has been added to the dictionary are ok apart from 'yolo' and 'selfie'. Adding those words shows how much our generation is changing / has changed over the years. The word 'selfie' is another term for taking a picture, 'yolo' we all know that we live once - those words are unnecessary to be in the dictionary, it's just another slang for another a different word that is mostly likely to already be in the dictionary plus it shows how much the slang has gotten popular over the years. On the other hand I think it's quite good that we have the new slang of our generation in the dictionary to show the generation yet to come how much language has changed through out the past years and it shows how much our society is changing.

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  35. I don't think phrases such as 'yolo' should be added to the dictionary. Although I understand the English language is evolving and modernising, I believe slang terms such as 'yolo' are just a phase in the way we use slang and is not eligible to be put into the dictionary as the word/acronym has not been around long enough. However, some words such as 'bromance' could possibly be added as there is a suitable definition for it. Although, I do not believe it is necessary as there are other words in the English language which have similar meaning.

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